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Review & Full Album Stream: Necro, Adiante

Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on December 19th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

[Click play above to stream Necro’s Adiante in full. Album is out Dec. 19 as the first release from Abraxas Records.]

Almost immediately, Adiante feels like a moment of arrival. It’s the third full-length from Maceio, Brazil-based trio Necro behind 2012’s The Queen of Death and a woefully unavailable 2011 self-titled released until their original moniker of Necronomicon, as well as their first offering through the new imprint Abraxas Records, but in addition to this, it’s the three-piece’s first record entirely in Portuguese, and it would seem to solidify the approach to classic heavy rock and boogie that the prior two outings and their 2015 split with Witching Altar (review here) hinted toward.

The lineup of guitarists/vocalists/bassists Lillian Lessa and Pedro Ivo Salvador (the latter also organ) and drummer Thiago Alef come across throughout the seven-track/37-minute outing as mature and the recording, mixing and mastering job by Gabriel Zander effectively captures a live-feeling chemistry between them that only feeds into both the energy within songs like the organ-laced “Espelhos e Sombras” and the earlier slide-meets-cowbell rocking title-track themselves and the momentum they’re able to build between them. At the same time Necro don’t make a move that’s out of place either in instrumentation or in Lessa and Salvador‘s vocal arrangements — Diogo Oliveira also guests in righteous form on “Azul Profundo” and “Entropia” — neither do they come across at any point as overblown. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but likewise, their take on familiar boogie rock tenets is presented with an entirely clearheaded take, and the results should catch the ears of even those jaded with ’70s worship or who think there’s nowhere left to go with a shuffling groove but in the same circles over and again.

Necro manage to move these elements forward, and in so doing, pay off the rather considerable potential of their first two records with their third. What seems geared toward a vinyl split with three tracks on side A and four on side B kicks off with the six-minute “Orbes,” starting at a vibrant gallop of guitar that’s in motion before the song seems even to know it. The tone is full, the push comes with considerable force behind it, and the impression left by the hook is memorable even if one doesn’t happen to speak Portuguese. They shift from this propulsive proto-metal in the second half of “Orbes” to a drumless section of spacious guitar, echoing vocals and ringing organ, but soon enough swirl the opener toward its apex and finish with a flash of humor in progressive noodling before jumping headfirst into the boogie of “Adiante” itself. Already noted, the slide guitar and cowbell arrive quickly, the latter backing Lessa‘s verse, guitars stopping and starting to allow for an even more fervent groove.

An undercurrent of acoustic guitar adds a Southern (as in US) twang that Necro seem content to ride out, but they never veer far from the central motion of the title cut. This serves them well as they provide yet another look on “Azul Profundo.” A highlight of Adiante for its insistent classic prog rhythm, it moves from an initial shuffle into thicker, more driven chugging behind layered vocals — organ once again playing a major role alongside Salvador‘s shred-prone lead guitar — before culminating with a surprise return from the cowbell and a section of scat singing. One assumes that Oliveira‘s guest spot, but either way the guitar follows it point for point as the drums and bass lock in time and the keys add Deep Purple-ish depth. From there, the drums drop out as “Azul Profundo” transitions into a flowing wash of melody gradually, patiently, smoothly moving back toward its starting point; arriving at which is among Adiante‘s greatest triumphs.

Centerpiece “Viajor” recalls some of Necro‘s earlier work in its pointed ’70s verse but opens to another fervent hook which Lessa delivers with poise recalling Farida Lemouchi from The Devil’s Blood — not a comparison to be made lightly — and balances shuffle and swirl well as it goes. It and “Entropia” lead the way into side B. Both are shorter at about 4:20, and straightforward in their proggy organics compared to some of the turns made by “Azul Profundo,” but they build noteworthy momentum one into the next and continue the flow from the first half of Adiante while also seeming to find common ground between what the opening three songs were able to accomplish individually. In other words, Necro don’t wait until the next album to bring the various sides of their sound together. That locked-in feel persists into “Espelhos e Sombras,” which slows down somewhat from the preceding “Entropia” and holds back the organ to bring the guitar forward initially but finds its real impression in a midsection break peppered with slide guitar and post-King Crimson noodling that shifts almost impossibly into a layered-on guitar solo, galloping drums, and a last build that’s as odd as it is effective.

By the time they get there, Necro have made it fairly complicated to guess where they might go on five-minute closer “Deusas Suicidas,” but they cap Adiante with a suitable bookend of a riff, proto-metallic in shape but still working on a different-enough wavelength to be distinct from “Orbes” — more biker rock, less pre-thrash force. From about two minutes in, they seem set in the final movement, but there are yet twists and turns to be made, and it’s not until the third minute that the organ arrives and the real summary of the record begins as they push toward the last crescendo. They end instrumentally, and even hearken back to the playfulness that capped “Orbes” when they’re done, as if to underscore the point of the symmetry at work across Adiante. Fun, but that point is well taken anyhow, and Necro‘s cross-genre prog-boogie realizations on individual tracks are even more satisfying when the album is taken as a whole. After two strong offerings in Necronomicon and The Queen of Death, the trio take a brazen step forward with Adiante, sounding refreshed in their approach and more like themselves than ever before.

Necro on Bandcamp

Necro on Thee Facebooks

Necro on YouTube

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Abraxas website

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Abraxas Events Announces Abraxas Records Label Venture; Necro, Saturndust, Fuzzly and More Signed

Posted in Whathaveyou on December 12th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

In what can only be called a natural extension of the impulse to spread quality music, Abraxas Events announces a new label venture in the form of Abraxas Records. For the last three years, brothers Felipe Toscano and Rodrigo Toscano have worked under the Abraxas banner to bring outside acts to Brazil and wider South America, and from Mars Red Sky to Stoned Jesus to Kadavar the recently-announced March 2017 run for Samsara Blues Experiment (info here), they’ve been wildly successful. My understanding is that Radio Moscow‘s first South American tour has already become something of a legend.

When Mars Red Sky couldn’t get into the US in 2014 and wound up recording their second album, Stranded in Arcadia (review here), in Rio at Estudio Superfuzz with Gabriel Zander, that was coordinated through Zander‘s partnership with Abraxas. In fact, the company has handled logistics for multiple Superfuzz recordings, and as Abraxas Records comes together, they seem to be keeping that relationship as a central feature of what they have to offer.

The key switch? Where Abraxas Events is known for bringing bands in, Abraxas Records seems more immediately geared toward spreading South American and particularly Brazilian acts to the world at large (it’s worth noting that anyone the company books from elsewhere is usually paired with choice locals as well, so not like they weren’t promoting South American acts before). And they’re not exactly starting off light. First release is from boogie rockers Necro, who today unveil the album art for their third full-length, Adiante, which will be out through Abraxas Records on Dec. 20.

That’s hardly the end of the story. The label has also picked up SaturndustFuzzlySon of a Witch, Anjo Gabriel, Monster Coyote, and The Muddy Brothers. Seven bands on day one. Hard not to be impressed by the ambition, and given the quality of work Abraxas has done up to now, I look forward to this next phase and wish good luck to the Toscano brothers. Like my nation’s vice president once said, “This is a big fuckin’ deal.”

As it should be, there’s a lot of audio linked below, but you’ll also find the details of the label’s formation and background, as well as two new tracks from Necro, whose album will be streaming here one week from today in full.

Dig it:

Abraxas Label Announcement – Necro New Album Release – Artwork Revealed

After 3 years booking tours in South America for international bands like Radio Moscow, Mars Red Sky, Kadavar and Stoned Jesus, just to name a few, and also actively promoting the Brazilian heavy rock scene, Abraxas officially announce a new record label branch.

“Although we have already recorded and released a lot of albums of Brazilian bands in the past years, we have never considered ourselves a proper label, more like a booking agency and event planning company (what is in fact what we do the most), but now it’s time to formalize this other aspect as well.” explains Felipe Toscano, founder of Abraxas with his brother Rodrigo.

The label’s first release will be Necro’s third studio album named “Adiante”. Now singing in Portuguese, the band had a substantial creativity boost, as it is much easier to create complex and interesting lyric structures in their mother language, not to mention the rhythm parts that have gotten even better due to such smart change.

As it couldn’t be different, Necro’s forthcoming album was recorded and produced by Gabriel Zander at Superfuzz in November 2015. The amazing cover was designed by Brazilian artist Cristiano Suarez (https://www.facebook.com/CristianoSuarezArt) and the first two singles are available at their bandcamp page: “Deuses Suicidas” – https://necronomicon.bandcamp.com/album/deuses-suicidas-single and “Viajor” – https://necronomicon.bandcamp.com/album/viajor-single.

São Paulo band Saturndust will be another solid name in the label’s roster. Their first album (https://saturndust.bandcamp.com/ – LP released by Helmet Lady Records) was recorded by the Abraxas brothers and Gabriel Zander at Superfuzz studio in Rio de Janeiro back in September 2014, and the hazy doom trio had just finished recordings of their second work, release due March 2017.

“All bands in the label are long time friends and have supported and worked with us several times since the beginning of Abraxas. Actually, some of them have already been produced/recorded at Superfuzz in our partnership with Zander, like Saturndust and Son of a Witch (https://sonofawitch666.bandcamp.com/ – LP released by Kozmic Artifactz) and I think all of them have opened for a foreign headliner at least once in the tours and gigs we have organized”, Felipe highlights.

The label will comprise Brazilian pioneers of stoner-rock Fuzzly (https://fuzzly.bandcamp.com/) and psychedelic titans Anjo Gabriel (https://anjogabriel.bandcamp.com/album/o-culto-secreto-do-anjo-gabriel) as well as many of the ascending bands of the country’s rich and constantly growing heavy rock scene, like The Muddy Brothers (https://themuddybrothers.bandcamp.com/releases), and Monster Coyote (https://monstercoyote.bandcamp.com/), among others.

From Psychedelic Prog to Sludge Metal, Abraxas aim to erect a milestone in Brazilian rock scene, and as from December 19 all of those bands will be strategically delivered by ONErpm. For physical needs, Abraxas plans the launch of the e-commerce with CDs, LPs, t-shirts and many more stuff by April 2017.

https://www.facebook.com/abraxasevents/
https://twitter.com/abraxasfm
http://abraxas.fm/

Necro, “Deuses Suicidas”

Necro, “Viajor”

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Quarterly Review: Motörhead, Owl, Waingro, Frank Sabbath, The Sonic Dawn, Spelljammer, Necro & Witching Altar, Stone Machine Electric, Pale Horseman, Yo Moreno

Posted in Reviews on January 5th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

the obelisk quarterly review winter

Pushing through the first batch of reviews and into the second. Always seems easier on the downhill somehow, but if the worst thing that ever happens is I have to put on 10 records a day, you aren’t likely to hear me complain. Today we get deeper into the round, and that while I’ll note that the context for today’s first review has changed decidedly for the unfortunate since it was slated for inclusion in this roundup, I’m trying still to take it on its own level, which is what any record deserves, regardless of its circumstances. No sense in delaying. Let’s go.

Quarterly review #11-20:

Motörhead, Bad Magic

Print

The four ‘X’es on the cover of Motörhead’s 23rd album, Bad Magic (on UDR Music) are placed there each to represent a decade of the band’s existence, and while the context of the 13-track/42-minute offering will be forever changed due to the recent passing of iconic frontman/bassist Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister and because the remaining members – guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee – have said it will be their final new studio release, it goes to show that one of metal and punk’s most landmark acts came in raging and went out raging. To wit, barnburners like “Thunder and Lightning” and “Teach Them How to Bleed” are quintessential Motörhead, and the propulsive “Shoot out All of Your Lights” is a blueprint for both their righteousness and relentlessness. A closing Rolling Stones cover of “Sympathy for the Devil” borders on poignant in hindsight, but on cuts like “Evil Eye,” “Electricity” and “Tell Me Who to Kill,” Bad Magic is basically Motörhead being Motörhead, which was of course what they did best.

Motörhead on Thee Facebooks

UDR Music

Owl, Aeon Cult

owl aeon cult

Topped off with some of the least-pleasant cover art one might (n)ever ask to see, the Aeon Cult EP is the third from German progressive sludge outfit Owl in two years’ time after two initial full-lengths. It comprises three songs that span genres from the slow-motion lurch of “The Abyss” to deathly intricacy – preceded by a groove that doesn’t so much roll as slam – on “Ravage” to an atmospheric extremity of purpose on “Mollusk Prince,” and is over in a whopping eight and a half minutes. Seriously, that’s it. At the center of the tempest are multi-instrumentalis/vocalist Christian Kolf, also of Valborg, and drummer Patrick Schroeder, formerly of Valborg, who elicit inhuman heft and bleakness across a relatively brief but nonetheless challenging span, and who seem to revel in the melted-plastic consistency of the sounds they create. Creative rhythms and ambience-enhancing keyboard work give Aeon Cult a futuristic edge, and if this is the world into which we’re headed, we should all be terrified.

Owl on Thee Facebooks

Zeitgeister Music

Waingro, Mt. Hood

waingro mt hood

The self-titled debut from Vancouver trio Waingro (review here) was a half-hour affair brimming with intensity and forward motion, and while the band’s second outing, Mt. Hood, follows suit tonally and in its neo-progressive thrust, the 11-track outing also provides a richer all-around experience and shows marked growth on the part of the band. “Desert Son” opens the album with an expansive solo section and intricate vocal layering to go with its metallic crunch, and while Waingro keep a short, efficient songwriting process at their core, that track and the slower, seven-minute “Mt. Hood” show their process has become more malleable as well. Likewise, while the methods don’t ultimately change much, shorter instrumental pieces like “Raleigh” on the first half of the album and the rolling “Frontera” on the second add variety of structure and make Mt. Hood as a whole feel more widespread, which, of course, it is. Waingro still have plenty of intensity on offer throughout, but their sophomore LP proves there’s more to them than unipolar drive.

Waingro on Thee Facebooks

Waingro on Bandcamp

Frank Sabbath, Frank Sabbath

frank sabbath frank sabbath

A self-titled debut full-length that breaks down into two subsections – the first is tracks one through five and is titled Emerald Mass and the second is tracks six through 12 and is titled The Quétu – clearly the intentions behind Frank Sabbath’s opening statement are complex. All well and good, but more importantly, the work of the Parisian trio of guitarist/vocalist Jude Mas, bassist Guillaume Jankowski and bassist Baptiste Reig is cohesive across the record’s 12-track span, and those two parts not only meld the songs that make them up together fluidly, but work set one into the next to bring a full-album flow to the proceedings, spanning classic progressive (the kind that’s not afraid to let the guitars get jazzy) rock and psychedelic mind-meld into a sometimes-strange, sometimes-in-Spanish brew of potent lysergics. The three-piece set a vast range from “Waves in Your Brain” onward and wind up delivering the “Fucking Moral,” which seems to be “Never be afraid of who you are/Never be ashamed of what you are.” Clearly, while their moniker might be playing off acts who came before, Frank Sabbath are not afraid to stand on their own sonically.

Frank Sabbath on Thee Facebooks

Frank Sabbath on Bandcamp

The Sonic Dawn, Perception

the sonic dawn perception

Sweet soul and classic psychedelic methods pervade The Sonic Dawn’s Perception (on respected purveyor Nasoni Records) debut album, and the Copenhagen trio of guitarist/vocalist Emil Bureau, bassist Neil Bird and drummer Jonas Waaben find an easy, spacious flow through songs that, despite being relatively straightforward, retain an expansive feel. Shades of Jimi Hendrix and The Doors make themselves felt early on, but Bureau’s voice shifts smoothly into and out of falsetto and the tonally The Sonic Dawn seem immediately in search of their own identity. The effects-soaked finish of “All the Ghosts I Know” and the apex of “Wild at Heart” would seem to indicate success in that process, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they push the psychedelic impulses of “Watching Dust Fall” even further their next time out, and if they can do so while holding onto the accessible foundation of Perception, all the better. An impressive debut from a three-piece who do right in making a show of their potential.

The Sonic Dawn on Thee Facebooks

Nasoni Records

Spelljammer, Ancient of Days

spelljammer ancient of days

Ancient of Days follows two impressive EPs from Swedish tonal constructionists Spelljammer (on RidingEasy), and is the trio’s full-length debut, a pretense-less 39-minute offering that basks in post-Sleep riff idolatry while leaving room in a cut like the 12-minute opener and longest track (immediate points) “Meadow” for nodding atmospherics as well. “Meadow” and the 11-minute closer “Borlung” sandwich the rest of Ancient of Days, which moves between the acoustic minimalism of the quick “Laelia” to the already-gone centerpiece “From Slumber,” which rises gradually, swells in its midsection, and recedes again – beautifully – and the eight-minute groove-roller “The Pathfiner,” which would be the apex of the record if not for the crashing finale of “Borlung,” which churns and plods and caps the record – how else? – with a swirl into empty space. Following a cult response to 2012’s Vol. II EP, that Spelljammer would deliver big on their debut album isn’t necessarily a surprise, but it remains striking just how easy it is to get lost in the morass of riffs and outward vibes they present in these five cuts. Should’ve been on my Best Debuts of 2015 list.

Spelljammer on Thee Facebooks

RidingEasy Records

Witching Altar & Necro, Split

necro witching altar split

This doomy twofer from Hydro-Phonic Records plants a veritable garden of unearthly delights in bringing together Brazilian doom outfits Witching Altar and Necro and highlighting the similarities and the differences between them. Pressed to CD late in 2015 with vinyl impending, it offers four cuts from Witching Altar, whose take on doom is ultra-traditional to the point of working in a Sabbathian “All right now!” for “She Rides the Seventh Beast,” and three from Necro (shortened from Necronomicon), a yet-unheralded trio of ‘70s progressive traditionalists who offer up the new single “Contact” and two tracks revisited from their two to-date full-lengths. Both prove immersive in their own right, Witching Altar setting a course for weird quickly on “The Monolith” which some theremin that reappears later, and Necro vibing out on the warm bassline of “Holy Planet Yamoth,” but each has their own ideas about what makes classic doom so classic, and the arguments on both sides are persuasive.

Necro on Thee Facebooks

Witching Altar on Thee Facebooks

Hydro-Phonic Records

Stone Machine Electric, The Amazing Terror

stone machine electric the amazing terror

One never knows quite what to expect from Texas two-piece Stone Machine Electric, and that seems to be precisely how the duo of guitarist William “Dub” Irvin and drummer/thereminist Mark Kitchens like it. The Amazing Terror is something of a stopgap EP, released on CDR by the band as a follow-up to late-2014’s Garage Tape (review here) and a lead-in for their next full-length, reportedly recorded last month with Wo Fat’s Kent Stump at the helm. Taken from the Garage Tape sessions, The Amazing Terror makes a standout of its languid, jammy title-track and surrounds it by three more instances of the band’s exploratory ideology, delving into the quietly cosmic on “Before the Dream” and feeding a cyclical delay expanse on closer “Passage of Fire,” a likely companion-piece to the opening “Becoming Fire,” which may or may not play thematically into where Stone Machine Electric are headed with their next record. As always with these guys, I wouldn’t dare place a bet either way and look like a fool on the other side.

Stone Machine Electric on Thee Facebooks

Stone Machine Electric on Bandcamp

Pale Horseman, Bless the Destroyer

pale horseman bless the destroyer

Chicago post-sludgers Pale Horseman featured a remix by Justin K. Broadrick (Godflesh/Jesu), originally on their 2013 self-titled debut, on their second outing, 2014’s Mourn the Black Lotus (review here), and their third full-length, Bless the Destroyer, boasts a mixing job by Noah Landis of Neurosis. All three records were also recorded by Bongripper guitarist Dennis Pleckham, so it seems fair to say that Pale Horseman know who they want to work with and why. The results on Bless the Destroyer speak for themselves. With the 15-minute penultimate cut “Bastard Child” as an obvious focal point, the four-piece give a clear sense of progression in terms of their patience and overall range. The earlier “Caverns of the Templar” still boasts plenty of post-Godflesh chugging intensity – elements of death metal, see also centerpiece “Pineal Awakening” – but closer “Olduvai Gorge” sleeks along with a poise that even in 2013 Pale Horseman would’ve driven into the ground on their way to doing the same to everything else in their path. Their growth has made their approach more individual, and it suits them well.

Pale Horseman on Thee Facebooks

Pale Horseman on Bandcamp

Yo, Moreno, Yo, Moreno EP

yo moreno yo moreno ep

A self-titled four-track debut EP from Argentina heavy rockers Yo, Moreno finds the band coming out swinging. The San Miguel de Tucumán-based four-piece of vocalist Marcos Martín, guitarist Lucas Bejar, bassist Noel Bejar and drummer Omar Bejar elicit a surprisingly aggro mood on “A Lot of Pot,” the opener, but groove remains paramount, and fuzz abounds. “Noelazarte” is more adventurous all around, an early build setting a tone with prevalent bass before Martín comes in after the halfway mark. Since “Para Noico” returns to the angrier spirit of “A Lot of Pot” and closer “3,000” heads outward on an instrumental exploration that blends grounded, weighted tones with spacier impulses, it seems easy to think that someone, somewhere would pick Yo, Moreno up for a 10” release. Especially as their first offering, it skillfully blends doomier atmospheres with fuzz-heavy nods, and stakes its claim in a niche that’s never completely one side or the other. Even formative as it is, it’s an intriguing blend.

Yo, Moreno on Thee Facebooks

Yo, Moreno on Bandcamp

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Necro’s Necro Preorders Start this Weekend

Posted in Whathaveyou on March 18th, 2015 by JJ Koczan

necro

Originally released late last year digitally by the band, Necro‘s self-titled album will be available to preorder from Hydro-Phonic Records starting this Saturday. A partial revisit of their 2011 debut — also self-titled, but released under the band’s original name, Necronomicon — it reworks songs like “Dark Redemption” and “Creatures from the Swamp” to suit Necro‘s more modern sound and configuration, with Lillian Lessa taking over lead vocals and sharing parts with bassist Pedrinho while drummer Thiago Alef holds together the fluid grooves behind.

As ever for Hydro-Phonic, the vinyl is gorgeous-looking, and in addition to Necro‘s self-titled, they’ll also have preorders up for new vinyl from Black Pyramid and Kings Destroy. The label posted the following update/announcement about the forthcoming releases. Not sure on the exact due date for Necro, but one assumes it’ll be included in the preorder, and if you’re desperate, the trio has the whole thing streaming on their Bandcamp.

Dig:

necro lp

NECRO S/T LP is on its way! Pre-orders start this Saturday at 4:00pm EST (along with Black Pyramid and Kings Destroy vinyls).

Formerly known as Brazil’s Necronomicon, this 70’s inspired doom trio has returned with their second LP (a re-interpretation of their original demo cd). Along with the name shortening, we also have the addition of female lead vocals provided by Lillian Lessa, taking Necro to the next level! Fans of the original Necronomicon releases will not be disappointed!

This addition will be available in two color choices, Gold/Blue (LTD 100) and Splattered wax (LTD 200) along with a poster and lyric sheet insert. For fans of retro 70’s heavy prog, Black Sabbath, Witch Mountain, Blood Ceremony, occult rock and of course doom!

Lillian Lessa: Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Moog, Vocal
Pedrinho: Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Mellotron, Vocal
Thiago Alef: Drums, Percussion

Diogo Oliveira: Vocal in “Mente Profana”
Cristiano Suarez: Pencil
Arranged and produced by Necro
Recorded at Pedrada between January and March ’14
MIxed by Dácio Messias

Available at http://hydro-phonicrecords.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Necronomicon/152830624746008
http://necronomicon.bandcamp.com/
http://hydro-phonicrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Hydrophonicrecords

Necro, Necro (2014)

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Necro Find Boogie Bliss in “Dark Redemption” Video

Posted in Bootleg Theater on July 4th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

Young Brazilian classic heavy rockers Necro — shortened from their original name, Necronomicon — are gearing up to release their second LP on Hydro-Phonic Records. The Maceio-based trio of guitarist/vocalist Lillian Lessa, bassist/vocalist Pedro Ivo Araujo and drummer Thiago Alef have released two singles to-date ahead of the forthcoming and as-yet-untitled full-length, and “Dark Redemption” was the first of them — the second, “Grito,” is streaming on their Bandcamp — and it continues the adherence to catchy, natural heavy ’70s vibes and classic Sabbathian doom riffing that Necronomicon showed on their first two releases, 2011’s self-titled debut EP and 2012’s conceptual follow-up The Queen of Death, though where it’s ultimately headed thematically remains as yet a mystery.

Still, the coming months will tell on that, and in the meantime, the video for “Dark Redemption” finds Necro slow-boogieing hooks in defiance of their years, the vocals of Lessa and Araujo underscored by organic, analog tones and a welcome retro groove. I heard their first EP a couple years back and dug the living hell out of it, but missed The Queen of Death, and so will look forward to checking out what the new one has to offer upon its arrival, whenever that might be, and while Necro unfortunately share their moniker with that death metal rapper who had Dan Lilker and the Tardy brothers from Obituary playing with him — as well as 30 or 40 other metal outfits — they still manage to carry their material across in such a way as to stand out from the pack. They don’t suck, and that always helps.

More to come on their new album as soon as I hear it, I hope, and in the meantime, “Dark Redemption” is a good way for anyone who maybe hasn’t heard them before to get introduced.

Enjoy:

Necro, “Dark Redemption” official video

Necro on Thee Facebooks

Necro on Bandcamp

Hydro-Phonic Records

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